What's a massage cost in Saigon these days?

[Matt_Stevens 5]

So I will have to fly economy to Saigon, God help me, which means I'll be a mess when I get there. A good massage can work wonders for a bad back, but where in Saigon to go? I have no interest in going to a western style spa where they charge western prices. Anh sent me that way when I went to Saigon the first time because she was so scared the lower class places would offer me a rub & tug.

Well I don't care about a rub & tug. You can just say no. What I do care about is a massage. I get one once a month in Chinatown and would do it once a week if I could afford to. My back thanks me each time.

Friends of mine have been to Saigon in years past and paid $10 to $15 for an hour and I am wondering if that kind of pricing still exists? I hear everything in Saigon is getting to be crazy expensive.

A bowl of Pho for $5? Is that true? It's $7 in New York City! When I was in Saigon three years ago it was $1 to $2.

Anyways...

[ScottThuy 140]

So I will have to fly economy to Saigon, God help me, which means I'll be a mess when I get there. A good massage can work wonders for a bad back, but where in Saigon to go? I have no interest in going to a western style spa where they charge western prices. Anh sent me that way when I went to Saigon the first time because she was so scared the lower class places would offer me a rub & tug.

Well I don't care about a rub & tug. You can just say no. What I do care about is a massage. I get one once a month in Chinatown and would do it once a week if I could afford to. My back thanks me each time.

Friends of mine have been to Saigon in years past and paid $10 to $15 for an hour and I am wondering if that kind of pricing still exists? I hear everything in Saigon is getting to be crazy expensive.

A bowl of Pho for $5? Is that true? It's $7 in New York City! When I was in Saigon three years ago it was $1 to $2.

Anyways...

It all depends on where you go.. I have NEVER paid 5 bucks for Pho anywhere in VN... And I always get a massage W/o a tug for under 10 bucks for an hour...no need for a tug ... You can go to the same place and there be different people there and get way different massages.... if you find a place, stick with it. and note who is doing the work... I have been going to the same spa in Hanoi for years and the same girls are still working there... Even though the Dong is very devalued at this point there has not been that much inflation that I can see. If anything the prices should be going down when converted to dollars.

[Huong and Phung 0]

dang. a bowl of pho for $5? I've never heard of that also. The most expensive bowl of "banh canh" I've eaten is around 45,000vnd at "Them 1 To" in Saigon. It's pretty pricy for regular vietnamese but it's a great place. Great customer service, great food and the bowl is Western style bowl. What i meant by Western style bowl is it is bigger. Not like the regular bowl that you see at the lower class rest., they usually tiny and I usually eat 2-3 bowls. If you ever try to find some good restaurant to eat, I would recommend Them 1 To on Nguyen Thai Hoc street.

Sorry for the hijacking.!

oh yeah! NEVER BEEN TO A MASSAGE PLACE EVER! hehehe Usually my wife beats me pretty good. hahahah

Edited September 25, 2009 by Huong and Phung

[ScottThuy 140]

There is a great 1 hour foot massage in the domestic terminal for 6 or 7 bucks.. I am looking forward to that when we leave HCMC to fly back up to Ha Noi

[lindal24 1]

I went to a "rub and tug" parlor and didn't get a tug...it cost me 170,000 for a VIP room (since I'm a girl and my husband didn't want anyone to see my naked body...) It was NOT that great. The lady bathed me (yea...literally) and then had me lay on the table where she massaged me for a whole 10 minutes. And then wanted me to tip her afterwards...I had none of that. I made my husband take me to my regular masseuse who gave me a 1 1/2 hour massage for 30,000.

As for food being expensive...it has gone up since three years ago, but for a bowl of pho to cost $5...that place probably shut down by now. When I was there last month, a bowl of pho cost me 15,000...it was my ONLY bowl of pho....I prefer Banh Canh Cua....

[Matt_Stevens 5]

Foot massage? Oh no, I cannot handle a foot massage, Too ticklish there. By far. I usually have to tell whoever I get a massage from to just skip the feet unless they are very rough and strong. Nothing less than deep pressure or I burst out laughing.

The rub & tug is a real fear from Anh. She knows about men going to Thailand for that and knows it can happen in Vietnam, but good grief, I have no interest, so I wish she would chill. Anh is fricking gorgeous as all heck and on a scale of 1-10 she's a 25, so why would I need anything else? I've tried to make her understand this, but she thinks all men would let a "tug" happen if it was possible.

Unfortunately, I have a very bad back from a terrible injury years ago and if I can get a massage for an hour at under $20, well, DUH! My best friend, who was last in Vietnam three years ago, but has been there seven times, would have a massage every single day on all of his trips. Every day, never paying more than $15.

I know I'll be a mess after the flight. When I flew back to the USA from Europe (both times) I was a mess for weeks. It was just brutal and I shelled out a lot of money to get massages. I so hate my back. Just hate it.

Will anyone by in Vietnam in January or February of 2010?

[ScottThuy 140]

Foot massage? Oh no, I cannot handle a foot massage, Too ticklish there. By far. I usually have to tell whoever I get a massage from to just skip the feet unless they are very rough and strong. Nothing less than deep pressure or I burst out laughing.

The rub & tug is a real fear from Anh. She knows about men going to Thailand for that and knows it can happen in Vietnam, but good grief, I have no interest, so I wish she would chill. Anh is fricking gorgeous as all heck and on a scale of 1-10 she's a 25, so why would I need anything else? I've tried to make her understand this, but she thinks all men would let a "tug" happen if it was possible.

Unfortunately, I have a very bad back from a terrible injury years ago and if I can get a massage for an hour at under $20, well, DUH! My best friend, who was last in Vietnam three years ago, but has been there seven times, would have a massage every single day on all of his trips. Every day, never paying more than $15.

I know I'll be a mess after the flight. When I flew back to the USA from Europe (both times) I was a mess for weeks. It was just brutal and I shelled out a lot of money to get massages. I so hate my back. Just hate it.

Will anyone by in Vietnam in January or February of 2010?

There is a guy that works in the domestic terminal that beat the ####### out of me from the knees down and there were hot rocks and oil and when he was done I felt like I had not walked one tenth as much as I had the previous 4 days... I like to walk when I can so I get to know an area and can stop and shop at every opportunity... I actually know some areas of Ha Noi better than my SO.... At one point he literally was punching my calves and grinding his bent finger into the end of my toes... no tickling about it... I started to wonder if he was pissed off at me for something... All of the women took one look at my size 12 hooves and called for him to deal with it. maybe he was on a break and was mad that he had to deal with me...

I can relate to the no need for a tug from a stanger... I am happy as hell in the relationship I am in.. else I would not be getting married and wanting to spend the rest of my life with her...

Will likely be in VN early 2010 but up north

[lindal24 1]

The rub & tug is a real fear from Anh. She knows about men going to Thailand for that and knows it can happen in Vietnam, but good grief, I have no interest, so I wish she would chill. Anh is fricking gorgeous as all heck and on a scale of 1-10 she's a 25, so why would I need anything else? I've tried to make her understand this, but she thinks all men would let a "tug" happen if it was possible.

I'm the same way... My husband would always tell me he wasn't interested in those types of services...over and over again...and I believe him, but it's a girls position to be jealous...but only because we love our husbands!!

[lindal24 1]

I'd like to go back in early Feb...

[ScottThuy 140]

I'd like to go back in early Feb...

You are already pricing the ticket girl...

[lindal24 1]

I'd like to go back in early Feb...

You are already pricing the ticket girl...

Yea...but I don't have anymore time off from work...but they probably think I'm already giving up my life to move over there... Probably think I'm crazy too!

[Kevin&Loan 0]

Matt,

You can try this lady, her name is Phu*o*ng Tri' and her number is 0908665043. She is in her early 50s, very professional and a devout Buddhist. She will come to your house or hotel. The majority of her clients are ladies but she does work on men as well. She has strong hands and it cost 15 bucks at the most. I don't remember since I always paid her more. You don't have to mention my name since she probably does not remember me but if she asks, tell her my Viet's name ... Vu*o*ng. She had serviced me last July at my hotel, Khach San Minh Chau in Vuon Ba Lon.

For others who would like to to experience upscale but legitimate massage, I highly recommend Khach San Khai Hoan on 3 Thang 2 Street at the corner of Cao Thang. This place is couple-friendly and I had great massage there.

Lindal,

We are going to be in Saigon mid March. If you still around by that time, maybe we can get together for a beer or something ...

[lindal24 1]

yea, definitely...i'll let ya know when the time gets closer though...

[hniHnitsuJ 8]

So I will have to fly economy to Saigon, God help me, which means I'll be a mess when I get there. A good massage can work wonders for a bad back, but where in Saigon to go? I have no interest in going to a western style spa where they charge western prices. Anh sent me that way when I went to Saigon the first time because she was so scared the lower class places would offer me a rub & tug.

Well I don't care about a rub & tug. You can just say no. What I do care about is a massage. I get one once a month in Chinatown and would do it once a week if I could afford to. My back thanks me each time.

Friends of mine have been to Saigon in years past and paid $10 to $15 for an hour and I am wondering if that kind of pricing still exists? I hear everything in Saigon is getting to be crazy expensive.

A bowl of Pho for $5? Is that true? It's $7 in New York City! When I was in Saigon three years ago it was $1 to $2.

Anyways...

The BEST place for a REAL massage is on DE THAM and Dien Bien Phu. TAY BA LO district 1. Full service for $170,000, this price is last year. If you going between 2 to 5 pm. Foot Massage will be FREE. Normally cost 50,000, and the body massage is around 100,000 or 120,000. So sum up will be around 200,000 that not including TIPS. Tips normally is around 100,000.

Foot Massage for 30 minutes, and Body Massage is for 1 hour.

The name of the place, if mine memory serve me right is QUE HUONG, and something else.

BUT, I am still prefer the guy riding a BICYCLE, with a bell or something on his hand running around on the street. MANG. Those guy are very very very good, but make sure they clean their hands before massage you. Less than 20,000. Very good .. trust me..

[fred n Dao Honey 0]

So I will have to fly economy to Saigon, God help me, which means I'll be a mess when I get there. A good massage can work wonders for a bad back, but where in Saigon to go? I have no interest in going to a western style spa where they charge western prices. Anh sent me that way when I went to Saigon the first time because she was so scared the lower class places would offer me a rub & tug.

Well I don't care about a rub & tug. You can just say no. What I do care about is a massage. I get one once a month in Chinatown and would do it once a week if I could afford to. My back thanks me each time.

Friends of mine have been to Saigon in years past and paid $10 to $15 for an hour and I am wondering if that kind of pricing still exists? I hear everything in Saigon is getting to be crazy expensive.

A bowl of Pho for $5? Is that true? It's $7 in New York City! When I was in Saigon three years ago it was $1 to $2.

Anyways...

This whole post makes me laugh. I am here in Hong Kong Airport killing time. This reminds me of my first trip. I was sore beyond words and Dao was doing her best to keep me away from "Those" massage parlors. She actually found a blind man massues to try to help. What I relly needed was a chiropractor. I found an american one behind the old presidential palace. I don't recall the name but you can him find online if you need one. They are a little pricy for Vietnam 75 US. After a couple trips Dao took me too Kim Salon on Tran hung Dao Street. The two girls took me up and down the pain and pleasure scale, NO TUG. LOL , Dao was on security watch at the next table. I get a shampoo and upper back massage about every other day 25,000vnd. Straight blade shave for 15,000vnd. Haircut 25,000 vnd. Pho in the local resturant is 35,000vnd. Mom-inlaw Always has some soup on. She sells in front of the house.

If anyone knows of a VN chiropractor with VN prices I would like the info. I found most VN don't understand Chiropractory.

Plane is boarding, They gave me free upgrade!! it pays to get miles! And United stopped charging for coctails in coach accross the ocean.

Gotta go

Fred